Kurt Busch (Left) and Jimmie Johnson (Right) discuss matters after locking horns in Saturday night's race at Richmond. (Photo: Getty Images)
Kurt Busch had two on-track encounters with defending Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson Saturday night, and he was still challenging people well after the end of the race.
Busch had moments of conflict with two news media members in the minutes after the Wonderful Pistachios 400 at Richmond International Raceway.
Although Busch seemed relatively composed in a nationally televised interview on pit road, he later was restrained from going after NASCAR.com reporter Joe Menzer. Busch also confronted Jenna Fryer of The Associated Press, took an interview transcript from her and tore it up.
Busch finished fifth in the race and will be seeded seventh when the Chase for the Sprint Cup begins Sunday at Chicagoland Speedway.
Busch and Johnson entered Saturday night’s race with their weeks-long feud still brewing. Early in the race, Busch hit Johnson while racing for position, and Johnson later retaliated by slamming into the rear of Busch’s car.
“We raced down into turn one, and I locked up the left front trying to avoid him,” Busch said in describing the first incident. “When he came back to us, you know, you could see it coming. That’s not something you see from Jimmie Johnson every day, so I know we’re in his head.”
In media center interviews after the race, Fryer questioned Johnson about Busch’s comment, and Busch interrupted, saying, “I didn’t say that tonight. Did not.” Fryer showed Busch the transcript of his live-television comments. He took it from her, tore it and put it back on the counter.
A few minutes earlier, Penske Racing team members restrained Busch from going after Menzer.
After the live television interview on pit road, Menzer asked Busch, “Kurt, can either you or Jimmie win the Chase?” but Busch cut him off, saying, “How did I see you were going to come with that? We’re good.”
Busch turned to walk away, but Menzer called after him, saying the question was legitimate because of the drivers’ in-race encounters. Reports said Busch turned and yelled expletives at Menzer and tried to get at him as team members restrained him.
Mike Hembree is NASCAR Editor for SPEED.com and has been covering motorsports for 29 years. He is a six-time winner of the National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year Award.
